Jeb, You Fool!
by Transgenic-girl
Summary: Jeb says something stupid. And there's minorly dramatic fallout. Fluff Jeb/Az, background Cain/DG


-1The day was finally over, and Jeb could finally return to the rooms he shared with Az. Thankfully. He had offered to pitch in to help cover duties around the Palace, on top of the usual demands on his time. A recent outbreak of some sort of magical stomach flu had swept through the Royal Court, starting just three weeks before. And nearly everyone had contracted the week long illness at one point or another.

Jeb himself had been one of the first ones to come down with it, and had spent the entire week either hunched over the toilet, or in bed. Az had cared for him personally the entire time; rubbing his back between bouts of vomiting, making him eat some sort of bland broth, and keeping a moist washcloth on his forehead to ease his fever. While in theory, being seen by (let alone nursed by) a Princess of the Realm while that ill was humiliating, in actuality he was just grateful for her loving attention.

Guilt had hit when she came down with a case of the same illness the very next week. So in turn, he had held her hair back when she had to empty her stomach (which was often), carried her back to bed when she was too shaky to stand, and made sure she was properly tucked in to get some sleep. Unlike his near-delirium causing fever while he was sick, she was suffering from the opposite. Cool to the touch skin and body chills. When he had asked one of the overworked Healers, he had been told to just make sure she had enough blankets, and to warm her up by helping her into a hot shower once a day.

She had looked entirely too miserable, and had muttered something about the showers being far less fun when she was half-unconscious. He had laughed through his worry, and promised her a 'fun' shower the minute she was feeling better. Az had grinned, even as chills wracked her body. The smirk she had given him when he had first undressed her and then himself still had the power to turn his cheeks red. Even though they both knew that their nudity was purely to avoid getting their clothes wet.

"Sure," was all she said.

Jolting back to the present the instant he reached the doors to their rooms, he was surprised and worried when Raw stepped outside just as he arrived. Az had been sick twice as long as the less severe cases had, and that fact had kept Jeb on the edge from the moment her illness had continued into the eighth day. It also had him hovering over her constantly, to the point that she had called him a 'demented hummingbird on vapors.' And told him that she would be fine with one of the maids during the day, and the he desperately needed to find something else to do.

Before she was forced to kill him, she had said. And while he knew for a fact that she would never suck out someone's soul, he did not tempt fate by continuing his arguments. Well, more than an hour or so anyway.

Heart in his throat, he turned to the Viewer as the Animal attempted to walk by him without saying anything. "Raw? H-How is she?"

The Viewer just shook his head, refusing to meet his eyes. "Raw not say, Azkadee made Raw promise."

Hell. That did not sound good. Stunned still for a moment, the blonde barely registered Raw leaving him alone again, walking in the opposite direction down the hallway. With a heavy swallow, he shook his head, and slowly opened the door in front of him.

"Az?" He called, his voice unsure. How bad was it? The first man who had come down with the stomach flu had been one of the guards, and had nearly died because he refused to take care of himself. But Az had been taking care of herself, Jeb had taken care of her.

A sudden squeal and the woman he loved pouncing on him from out of nowhere came as a shock to the young man, made him stumble backwards slightly. Both relieved and very very confused, he let her pepper his face with kisses for a moment before he pulled away enough to see her face. "What happened?"

Chocolate brown eyes lighting up with excitement, her cheeks flushed pink, she grinned up at him. "I'm pregnant!"

Jeb just about fell over just then. His mouth moved wordlessly for a moment, as he struggled to compose his thoughts into some sort of language. Sure English would work, but any would do at this point. "Guess we have to get married now." Oh wait, no! Idiot! What the hell did you say that for? Oh gods…

Her previously happy expression crumpling into first hurt and then into anger, Az stepped away from him, unwrapping her arms from his neck.

Vaguely he wondered if he could go to the Healers and get his foot surgically removed from his mouth. Mmm… he sure did love the taste of boot leather in the evening.


End file.
